The Dragonology Chronicles (Vol II): The Dragon's Diary

The Dragonology Chronicles (Vol II): The Dragon's Diary Synopsis

In the second instalment of this acclaimed series, a mysterious illness is spreading among dragons. The fate of dragonkind rests in the hands of Daniel and Beatrice – can they reach Dr. Drake and work out the cure, or will they fall into the clutches of the evil Alexandra Gorynytchka?

Click here to watch a video that shows how 'Scorcher' was discovered!

Read on for a Q & A with Dugald Steer about his Dragonology Books

The Dragon Diary

Where did the idea for Dragonology and the Dragonology Chronicles originally come from?

The idea of Dragonology came about because Templar Publishing wanted to do a big interactive book on dragons and Mandy Wood and I thought it would be a great idea to base it on the “rediscovered” work of an eccentric Victorian natural historian who believed that dragons were real. The eccentric scientist’s name “Ernest Drake” and his science, “Dragonology”, just seemed to come naturally as part of the letter that is inserted into the front of the book, which was the very first part to be written.

When Dragonology became a big success, lots of children wrote to Templar saying that they wanted to hear more about Dr. Drake, and that is how the idea of doing the Dragonology Chronicle novels came about.

If you could see one of the Dragonology dragons in real life, which one would it be?

The Dragonology dragon I’d like to meet most would be a European dragon named Torcher—the one that Daniel and Beatrice hatch out of the egg in the Dragon Diary. The Dragonology Chronicles are set in late Victoria times, but dragons have such long life spans that there is every chance that he is still around—so keep your eyes open!

Do you think dragons might have ever existed?

That’s an interesting one! Scientists are constantly discovering things and so who knows if one day they will discover evidence of a large, winged lizard-like predators, although I have to say I would be very surprised if they found out they could breathe fire, too!

What do you think is the appeal of dragons? Why are they so popular?

Dragons look fabulous, fly, breathe fire, hoard treasure, and they are really powerful—more than a match for most humans. However, they do have a gentler side, if you know how to approach them in the right way. They can make excellent friends and allies, but you should never try to tame one—they are wild through and through, and that’s the way they want to remain!

How did you come up with all the different kinds of dragons?

I read as many dragon myths and legends as I could, and I looked at images of dragons from different cultures around the world. Then I thought: what if dragons were like other real creatures? In that case they, like other creatures, would naturally have evolved into a wide range of different species, with widely differing appearances and habits, each one perfectly suited to being the top predator in the habitat in which it lived.

If you could go back in time to any era of history, which would it be and who would you like to meet?

I’d quite like to go back to medieval times and speak to the famous explorer Marco Polo. He travelled half way around the world during a time when most Europeans knew so little about what lay outside their own villages, let alone their countries, and he saw and experienced so many wonderful things that I think he’d be a fascinating person to speak to!

Where is your favourite place in the world?

That’s an unfair question—there are too many places! For example I like Barcelona, New York, the Nile, the highlands of Scotland, Crete, the Pyrenees and my home.

What next for Beatrice and Daniel and Dr Drake?

After surviving far-flung adventures in the Dragon Diary, Daniel and Beatrice must face danger much closer to home than they ever imagined. It’s a race against the clock and one that they must win with less help than they have ever had before, against a very cunning enemy indeed. But it’s not finished yet, and so I shall say no more!